Piston ring



March 18, 1930. D. M. SOLENBERGER 1,751,253

PISTON ama Original Filed April .16, 1923 Ari Patented Mar. 18. 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEAN- H. SOLENBERGER,

Oi CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE SIMPLE PISTON RING COMPANY 01' AMERICA, INC, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO PISTON RING Application filed April 16, 1928, Serial No. 632,290. Renewed September 12, 1989.

This invention relates to a sealing ring for use in connection with a reciprocating element disposed within a cylinder, and has particular reference to a ring or rings for sealing the surface between a piston and the cylgroove has resulted in sufiicient oil reaching 7 the firing chamber as to-cause fouling of the spark plugs and carbonization of the valves to such tically riods.

inoperative except for very short pe- This clearance in the rlng groove permits a slight up and down motion of the pis-' ton ring which then functions as a pump and soon delivers an excessive amount of oil to the combustion chamber, the oil passing between the ring and the ring groove in the piston.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a ring which shall form a tight seal at all times between the upper and lower surfaces of such ring and the corresponding1 surfaces of the ring groove in the piston, t us preventing reciprocatory motion between said ring and the piston.

Another object is to provide a ring of the aforesaid character which shall be devoid of springs or separable parts which require adjustment and skill in assembling. Another object is to provide a ring which may be applied to worn ring grooves in the piston and which shall be self-adjusting'with- 1n such grooves to form a tight seal therewith.

Another object is to provide a ring which shall be self-adjusting so as to be readily adapted to unevenly worn ring grooves, to form a tight seal at all points therewith.

A still further object is to provide a ring an extent as to render the motor prac-.

of the aforesaid character which shall be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and which shall be easily applied and highly efiicient in operation.

With these and other objects in view the Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; Fig. is a detail view in section of a piston equipped with rings such as shown in Fi s. 1 and 2; and Figs. 4r9are elevations eac representing a modified form of my invention.

Describing the various parts by reference characters, 1 denotes a piston which is reciprocable within a cylinder 2, and=-which is provided with rings 3 for sealing the surface etween such piston and cylinder.

Each ring, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is of the split type and is provided with a plurality of slots 4. These slots are preferably formed in spaced circumferential relation adjacent the upper and lower peripheral edges of the ring, and the upper series of slots are preferably arranged in overlapping staggered relation with respect to the lower series of slots. A ringfso formed may be compressed between the upper and lower edges thereof at any point, and such compression will be against the tension of the material forming such ring. slightly bevel the inner peripheral edges of the rings as indicated at 5 so that the rin s may be applied to worn ring grooves whic are sometimes shouldered due to excessive wear. This permits my improved ring to readily seat Within the worn groove without binding on such shoulders. A ring formed in accordance with my invention is preferably made slightly greater in width than the width of the groove for which it is intended so that when the ring is applied to the pis-- I preferably roe of the ring material will at all times force said ring 1nto tight contact with the upper and lower surfaces 6 of the rin groove. It

will be obvious that a tight sea will be obtained at all points between the upper and lower surfaces of the ring and the corresponding surfaces of the ring groove. Should any wear take place between the ring and its groove, the natural resiliency of the ring, by virtue of the slots formed therein, will automatically take up such wear and prevent ring wherein the slots 4 terminate adjacent the step cut indicated at 8 without intersecting such cut. The overlapping surfaces of the out are preferably rounded slightly as indicated at 9 so that the portion of the ring containing the step out may be compressed sufficiently to enable the ring to fit snugly into the piston groove. With this type of ring there is no danger of breaking the slender slot-ted portion of the ring adjacent the step out when placing it on the piston.

In. Fig. 5 I have shown another modification wherein the slots 4 also terminate adjacent the step ut without intersecting such out. In order to permit the ring to be compressed sufl'iciently at the cut to enter the ring groove, the abutting ends on one side of the ring may be ground to reduce the width thereof at this point, as indicated at 10. I

preferably retain the minimum width of the ring equal to the widthof the ring groove. In other words the width of the ring at the abutting ends thereof is substantially equal to the width of the ring groove in the piston, while the remaining portion of the ring is of a slightly greater width so that it will be compressed when inserted within the groove.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modification which is particularly adapted for very narrow rings. In this type of ring I form only a single series of spaced circumferential slots 4 therein and form one edge of the ring with an indulating surface indicated at 11. The minimum width of this rin is intermediate adjacent slots and is preferably equal to the width of the ring groove, while the maximum width of the ring is at the slotted portions and is of a greater width than the ring groove so that this portion of the ring will be compressed when inserted in said groove.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a ring similar to that-described in connection with Fig. 6 except that an auxiliary ring 12 is placed adjacent the undulating surface 11. In this type a seal is provided at all points between the upper and lower surfaces of the ring and the corresponding surfaces of the ring groove.

. In Fig. 8 I have shown a rin provided along one edge thereof with a p urality of diagonally arranged slots 15 whlch intersect said .edge. This arrangement also permits the ring to be compressed so as to be inserted within the ring groove under tension.

In Fig. 9 I have shown a still further modification wherein the ring is formed with a pluralit of diagonally arranged slots 16 which 0 not intersect either. edge thereof. The cut 17 inthis instance is preferably arritnged at substantially the same angle as the s ots.

ring whose width is normally greater than, the width of the ring groove and have so formed said ring as to permit it to be inserted within the groove under tension so that a snug fit is insured at all times between the upper and lower surfaces of the ring and the corresponding surfaces of the ring groove. It will also be obvious that I accomplish the foregoing results in a simple and eificient manner and without excessive parts such as springs which lose their tension under excessive heat.

It will be understood that the terms upper that the piston and ring or rings thereon are It will be obvious that I haveprovideda and lower as used in the specification and claims are used for convenience only, and

equally well adapted for horizontal, angular or vertical movement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A one piece piston ring having an upper and a lower circumferential series of slots, the said ring being provided with a stepped split joint comprising overlapping tongues, the slots in one series being staggered with respect to those in the other series, and one of the slots extending circumferentially across the joint and dividing one of said tongues into two portions.

2. A one piece piston ring having an upper and a lower circumferential series of slots, the said ring being provided with a split joint, the slots in one series being staggered with respect to those in the other series, and the inner circumferential edges of said ring being beveled.

3. A one piece piston ring having an upper and a lower circumferential series of slots, the said ring being provided with .a split joint, the slots in one series being staggered with respect to those in the other series, one of said slots extending across said joint, and the inner circumferential edges of said ring being beveled.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aifix my signature.

DEAN M. SOLENBERGER. 

